Guatemalan drug kingpin who had $10M reward on him is picked up in San Diego

An alleged Guatemalan drug kingpin has been arrested in San Diego, where he is facing federal charges related to the distribution of cocaine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Eugenio Dario Molina-Lopez, 61, also known as “Don Dario,” had at one time a $10 million reward offered by the U.S. Department of State for information leading to his capture and conviction.

Molina-Lopez, who was indicted in 2019, allegedly led a drug trafficking organization called Los Huistas based out of northwest Guatemala on the border of Mexico.

“Los Huistas is a drug trafficking organization primarily based in the Huehuetenango region of Northwest Guatemala that borders Mexico and is engaged in a massive cocaine trafficking operation,” prosecutors said in a news release.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Molina-Lopez and Los Huistas were the focus of a multi-year law enforcement investigation. Details on the circumstances leading to his arrest were not disclosed.

“Cartel leaders don’t get to write the end of their stories — we do,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon in the news release. “And once again, the final chapter for a man alleged to be one of the world’s most notorious and prolific cocaine traffickers is here in the Southern District of California.”

Molina-Lopez pleaded not guilty in San Diego federal court last Friday to charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine intended for unlawful importation and conspiracy to distribute cocaine on board a vessel.

Prosecutors say he faces  a sentence of up to life in prison and a $10 million fine